The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement

The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement
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Album	Goths
Released	May 19, 2017
Length	4:54
Previous Track	"Andrew Eldritch Is Moving Back to Leeds"
Next Track	"We Do It Different on the West Coast"

The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement is the third song on the album Goths.

Lyrics[]

In the secret caverns underneath West Covina
Half desperate for peace
With the surface dwellers
But coming to no conclusions
And now we emerge
Sky grey and misty

The Grey King in his new Pontiac
Some of us sworn to the effort
Trying to get our shapes back
Teeth filed down to fine points
Framework too tight
Strain at the joints

And I'm hardcore but I'm not that hardcore
I'm hardcore but I'm not that hardcore
I'm hardcore but I'm not that hardcore
I'm pretty hardcore but I'm not that hardcore

Load into the Grand Am
Doomed sailors
Borne high by the waves
Wild with wonder
Leather and lace and good friends
Most of them good
Most of them friendly

The Grey King at the rail, sparks flying
Three of us in the car with him
Scared of dying
All eyes on the front seat
Assuming his form
Reborn in the heat

And I'm hardcore but I'm not that hardcore
I'm hardcore but I'm not that hardcore
I'm hardcore but I'm not that hardcore
I'm pretty hardcore but I'm not that hardcore

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song[]

"I get off work, uh, and I go to the onramp to the freeway. You can see the scene depicted on our tour poster back there at the table. And there's some people that are my age, maybe a year or two older, but they're clearly a little deeper into some scene than I am. I don't think they're probably working eight hours a day shifts. They're probably quitting jobs a little quicker. And they have long hair that's feathery and, and, the roach clip, you know, with the feathers you can put in your hair, looks - still looks good today, a fashion trend that will never die. And there was a guy, right, one of those guys whose shoulders seem to have widened a little earlier than everybody else's, you look at him and he, like, radiates testosterone, you know, uh, uh, and, you know, and then, like, three women in the car. And he's wearing shades, and we're both getting onto the same freeway. I'm not even trying to stare at this guy. I'm just looking over, making sure I'm aware. And he sort of catches me with his sunglasses. Makes sure I'm looking at him. He smiles. He had fangs. I wrote this song about him." -- 2017-05-25 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL

Things Referenced in this Song[]

West Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California that was also referenced in the 2008 song Alibi.

Live Shows this Song Was Played at[]

Videos of this Song[]

2017-06-22 - Soundcheck - WNYC Session - New York, NY

Goths

Track list: "Rain in Soho" • "Andrew Eldritch Is Moving Back to Leeds" • "The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement" • "We Do It Different on the West Coast" • "Unicorn Tolerance" • "Stench of the Unburied" • "Wear Black" • "Paid in Cocaine" • "Rage of Travers" • "Shelved" • "For the Portuguese Goth Metal Bands" • "Abandoned Flesh"
Bonus tracks: "For the West Coast Dark Ambient Bedroom Warriors" • "Scaling the Well" • "Vanishing Act" • "Grave Dust"

The Grey King and the Silver Flame Attunement

Album	Goths
Released	May 19, 2017
Length	4:54
Previous Track	"Andrew Eldritch Is Moving Back to Leeds"
Next Track	"We Do It Different on the West Coast"